“FIaunt It gives girls a chance to show their real skills and to possibly step up to the next level.” Says Catherine Desrochers, one of the event organizers. On its first year on the Swatch TTR Tour there are six 2Star Flaunt it Series events spread all over the US and Canada, and the seventh and final event of the series is held at Mt Tremblant and with 3Stars it gives the girls a great opportunity to flaunt it. Check out this interview with Catherine, as well as the photos and video. Don’t miss out on this awesome series of events!
How and why did you start organizing this event?
Flaunt It started as a single event in March, 2007, as we (Billabong) felt that there should be more opportunity for girls to showcase their snowboarding through friendly competition. After the success of the first event held at Mt. Tremblant, we decided the following year to turn it into a North American contest series and added more Canadian stops and a stop in the USA. Flaunt It is now entering its fourth year with 2 stops planned for the USA and 5 in Canada! Flaunt It was created to provide female riders with a legit snowboard contest and a platform to progress on a competitive level.
Can you tell me a bit about the girls running it?
There are several people that all help make the Flaunt It tour a success each year, but the the two key people that run point on the tour are Catherine Desrochers and Amy Sorenson. Catherine runs point of the Canadian events. She has been working for the brand for over 6 years, based out of the Canadian office located in Montreal, QC. She first joined the Billabong team working for our Quebec sales agency, and was then brought in house to work directly for Billabong Canada as a marketing coordinator for the women’s division. In addition to Catherine, Amy Sorenson runs point on the US events, as she is based in our US head office in Irvine California. Amy is a veteran of the action sports industry and has an extensive marketing and athlete management background.
What is the atmosphere at the event like compared to a mixed gender event?
Really relaxed and friendly. While most might be there to win, having fun and meeting new friends is a large aspect to the tour and what makes it such a success.
What level does a rider have to be to participate?
We usually try to have a few options available on course catering to different levels of riding. Starting with the girl who would like to come enjoy a fun day of riding and get started on the contest scene, to the more advanced sponsored rider who is aiming for the podium, collecting valuable TTR points, and taking home some cash . The final event is open to all riders but the level of riding is definitely a little more advanced, as the $10k cash prize attracts a few top riders from across the country.
How have the winners profited from the event apart from the prize money and Swatch TTR points?
FIaunt It gives girls a chance to show their real skills and to possibly step up to the next level. We did put a girl on our program through the event last year, and I’m sure other brands have done the same as well.
Could you tell me about your favorite memory from last years events?
It was warm and sunny day last year during the final event in Tremblant, and I remember the athletes were having such a blast cheering each other on and showcasing their skills. After the event we invited all the riders & some friends for a private party were they could enjoy some food, drinks and sweet vibes. It was awesome to all hang out together after the contest and get loose.
What was the best trick on last years event?
Well, with 7 events there are a lot of good tricks getting thrown down through style and technically. A few that stand out were some stylish cab and switch backside 5’s on the jumps. The girls were dominating the rails at the finals last year, but a couple include a Switch bs 180 to 50/50 on a down ledge, lots of front boardslides, as well as a few nice backlips…just to name a few.
What are the other “activites” (party etc) happening around the event?
We have been having some pre-registration parties at the US events. For example we had an awesome karaoke night with Jamie Anderson and her family at a local eatery and invited the girls who had pre-registered to join us for some food and drinks. There also has been after parties for the Blue Mountain & Tremblant event. Will have more info in regards to parties posted on the Flaunt It website www.billabong.com/flauntit , here on the TTR site, as well as come find our Facebook group to find out what else will be happening for the 2010 Flaunt It season.
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